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Hall County board moves to notify Brown Transit and prepare to rebid rural service
Summary
Facing unsustainable costs under the current contract, commissioners directed staff to issue written notice to Brown Transit and prepare a timeline to rebid rural transit service with a preference for nonprofit providers; a 90-day verbal-notice plan was discussed and staff were asked to prepare written notice and bid timelines.
Commissioners discussed the financial strain of operating rural transit under a for-profit contract and moved to notify Brown Transit that the county intends to end the current contract and rebid the service.
Commissioner (speaker 5) said the current arrangement produces an untenable per-ride cost and recommended sending a 90-day notice to terminate service, then reopening bidding to seek nonprofit operators. "It would be in our best interest to possibly end service with Brown, give them a 90 day notice, and rebid the service to see if we were able to get a nonprofit agency," the mover said. Members discussed whether a 90-day written notice or a 120-day timeline would provide more time to prepare a bid package and to ensure continuity of service.
Staff and commissioners sketched a timeline: notify provider in mid-July, publish a bid letting in early September and aim to have a new provider in place in mid- to late October if timelines hold. County staff said they would prepare a written notice to the current operator and coordinate advertising requirements and state grant/advertising timelines for transit procurement.
The board did not complete a formal recorded vote in the excerpted transcript; the motion and second were on the floor and staff were asked to draft written notice. Commissioners discussed the operational tradeoffs of continuing service versus rebidding and emphasized trying to secure a nonprofit operator to reduce taxpayer cost per ride while preserving service for residents who rely on transit.
What happens next: county staff will prepare a written termination notice to Brown Transit, develop bid documents with state guidance and advertise per procurement rules; the board will put bid openings on upcoming agendas and consider a replacement provider if bids provide a feasible option.
